


Belladonna

by LoverofMidnight



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: FebuWhump2021, Gen, Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Nice Uther Pendragon (Merlin), One-Shot, Poisoning, Whump, Wordcount: Over 1.000, Worried Merlin (Merlin), febuwhumpday7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:49:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29265309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoverofMidnight/pseuds/LoverofMidnight
Summary: “Hallucinations, it is a symptom of the poison, unfortunately. He would be better when he had the antidote.”  Gaius tried to reassure Merlin, but he had a feeling that it didn’t work entirely.
Relationships: Arthur Pendragon & Uther Pendragon (Merlin), Gaius & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145546
Kudos: 21
Collections: febuwhump 2021





	Belladonna

Arthur smiled at Uther, he was glad that everything was going so well with the peace treaty, but at the same time were they both exhausted.

He smiled slightly as he took a sip from the tankard. He could make out Merlin was near the wall with Gwen, both of them were laughing at something.

Arthur could feel his heart fluttering when he saw Merlin, he had admitted to himself a while ago that he had feelings for his manservant.

A servant walked passed the table, grabbing Arthur and Uther’s tankards, putting a fresh ale on the table.

The prince listened for a moment to the people laughing and dancing in the hall, it to this day surprised him that they could be so jolly when they were in the right mood.

Hopefully, the mood wouldn’t just suddenly vanish when everything was done and dusted.

Arthur was deep in thought just sipping from the tankard in front of him. He almost jumped out of his skin when Merlin suddenly appeared next to him.

“Are you alright, Sire?” Merlin kept his voice low as not to alarm anyone.

Arthur was pale and looked like he was going to fall over at any second. Merlin glanced around the room searching for Gaius. When he saw the physician was looking straight at them.

He made a quick motion with his hand showing that Gaius should come over.

Arthur just blinks at Merlin, he could feel that his mind felt foggy and a cold sweat had broken out in the nap of his neck.

“Y-Yeah.” Arthur knows he wanted to ask why they were asking but it was as if someone had stopped him from being able to talk.

Merlin crouched down in front of Arthur, his hand was warm and dry against Arthur’s clammy hands.

“I think we need to get you to Gaius chambers, you don’t look well.” Merlin could feel Arthur’s pulse fluttering against his fingers.

Gaius was busy to talk to the king.

Uther leaned over to Arthur. “Go, son, I will keep the forte here.” He gave Arthur a slight smile.

Arthur had to force himself to his feet and it took everything in him to walk out of the room, his body felt heavy and dark spots was dancing in front of his eyes.

Merlin had to act fast when the prince suddenly just lured forward, almost eating the floor. A whine left Arthur, it felt like he was dying and fast.

Between Merlin and Gaius they got Arthur to Gaius chambers, the prince lay down on the cot. They could see that he was struggling to breathe.

“Merlin goes and gets the tankard he drank from, hopefully, I would be able to see what was in it,” Gaius ordered Merlin from the room as he lay a cloth over Arthur’s head.

Merlin ran to the dancing hall, almost slipping a few time, he sneaked behind the King’s chair, grabbing the tankard where Arthur had put it down.

“Is he alright?” Uther kept his voice low, his mouth barely moved as he glanced at Merlin.

“No, Sire, he is getting iller, Gaius wants to see if there was maybe something in his tankard.” Merlin gave the king a bow, not stopping to answer any more questions.

He had a bad feeling and would prefer to stay with Arthur.

Merlin slid into the chambers, the tankard pressed out to Gaius, the old man took it. For a moment there was silence as Merlin sank next to Arthur.

Arthur was soaked in sweet and Merlin wished that he could make the prince feel better. For a moment he almost used magic to stop whatever it is.

But if it is something magical, the magic would only make it worse. Merlin spunged the prince off, how on earth could something be so bad so fast?

“Belladonna.” Gaius felt like he could curse, of all the berries that someone had to use, it had to be the most toxic one.

A pained groan from Arthur made his lookup. When Arthur shuddenly started to convulse Gaius put the tankard down.

It took them both to keep Arthur pressed onto the mattress, and when it stops his body still twitched.

Arthur's eyes were open, his pupils were blown. Merlin wet the cloth in the cold water again, before he started to work on the fever.

They weren’t sure how late it was when the door burst suddenly open. Uther came into the room, his outside persona screamed that he didn’t truly care but his eyes told another story.

They were filled with worry as he looked at Arthur. He rushed to help keep Arthur still when he started to convulse again.

For a moment Uther couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he rather stayed a noble, notice more. No invading lands, would he and Igraine have been happy, raising Arthur? Would she maybe have survived and even if she didn’t would Arthur have been happier?

Uther watched as Gaius gave Arthur a potion, for the moment it looked like the prince was just sleeping and it soothed something in Uther’s heart.

“Let me know if there is anything you need or a change in his condition.” Uther nodded at them before he left, the room was simply too small for all of them.

“Of course, Sire.” Gaius was slightly distracted as he worked on the antidote that Arthur would need.

Merlin was asleep, his arms on the edge of the cot Arthur was laying on. Gaius had a vial over a candle that needs to stay there for the rest of the night.

When a clammy hand touched Merlin’s face, he woke up with a start.

Arthur's eyes were open, they were glassy, but Merlin could see the panic in the prince's eyes.

“Mer…” Arthur found it hard to talk, everything felt like lead and it felt like someone was fighting a war inside his head.

For a moment it felt like he was going to fall over an edge when it looked like something was fighting in the corner of the room.

The animals stalked each other before they pounced on each other. Everything in Arthur screamed that they should get away.

Hands pushed him down. Arthur tried to push up but then there was suddenly extra hands against his shoulders, pushing him down.

Something pressed against his lips and Arthur tried to turn his head away. The animals slowly stalked closer to them.

Why is no one seeing them? How can they ignore the hard pounding of there feet on the ground?

Someone took a hold of his head, forcing him to still, the vial pressed against his mouth again, it was slowly dripped into his mouth.

His head was tipped back slightly so that he couldn’t spit it out. When the hands moved away, it felt for a moment as if his mind was clearer, he looked in the corner again. The animals where away.

A hand gently ran through his hair, he could hear someone talking, but he couldn’t make the words out.

Slowly he fell asleep again.

Merlin took a step back his eyes where wide as he looked at Gaius.

“Hallucinations, it is a symptom of the poison, unfortunately. He would be better when he had the antidote.” Gaius tried to reassure Merlin, but he had a feeling that it didn’t work entirely.

Merlin sat next to the prince again.

“I can’t lose you, Arthur.” Merlin’s voice was soft, a mere whisper in the night air. Something he would never tell Arthur out loud, but at the moment it felt like Arthur needed some extra encouragement to keep on fighting.

Merlin woke up again when Gaius was clattering around the room, the vial that was the night before over the flame, was now standing alone, cooling down.

When Gaius saw that Merlin was awake, he made a motion to come over to him. It took some work before Merlin was properly with him and walking over.

“Uther was here a few minutes ago, I told him what had happened last night, he would come to check in on Arthur in a few hours.” Gaius kept his voice low, the prince was twitchy and not properly asleep.

Gaius touched the vial, to feel if it was cool enough to administer.

With some help from Merlin, they got the antidote inside Arthur, now he would need to sleep it out, unfortunately.

But he would feel a lot better when he wakes up.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this one-shot, please tell me what you think of the story. Constructive criticism is always welcome.  
> I can also be found on Tumblr @lover-of-midnight


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